New Years Eve Menu~

[Admin]

Ok gals would you care to share with me and others the menu you plan to serve on New Years Eve.

Dh and I will be staying home, just the two of us. Probably play some games or cards and just have a quiet evening.

I am trying to come up with some different things to serve. We usually have appetizers.

Also, any ideas for New Years Day dinner would be appreciate too. I get tired of preparing the same ole things.

[lynn]

hummus/pita chips
roasted pecans
chili cheese logs/assorted crackers
chicken fingers with honey mustard sauce
fruit salad
homemade cookies

Sunday:

We kinda like the traditional southern fare for new years:

Pork Tenderloin
flavored rice
black eye peas
greens
cornbread

[braided-rug]

It is New Year's Eve here now, about 6pm. DH says it is too hot to think about menus, it is really bad today. The worst of it inside is about now, until we can open the house up. DH braved the heat to go to the mall 1 1/2 hours away to pick up the girls and got two fans, so that is good.

We are just having an ordinary tea, chicken, potatoes and pumpkin, it would be nice if my Nana or Mum were cooking, they would have something practical like cold meat and salad.

Our son is going out. He said so many people were grocery shopping this afternoon, ie Saturday, which he says is unusual. Maybe they were buying cool things like our equivalent of Koolaid, cordial!

[braided-rug]

Try this site:

newyears.cdkitchen.com/

[braided-rug]

Black-eyed peas for good luck eh? I don't think I have had them, they haven't been on the Australian scene for very long I imagine.

There are appetizers on the above site, including hummus, and also bruschetta.

Cheese Triangles are a favorite here:

www.yankeemagazine.com/recipes/search/onerecipe.php?number=402

[braided-rug]

It is amazing the difference in the countries.

teriskitchen.com/newyear.html

[braided-rug]

New Year Recipes:



Shortbread with Dates - Kourabiethes Ne Hourma
1 1/2 cups of butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 1/2 cups of water
2 teaspoons vanilla
flour
1 1/2 cups of dates
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1-2 teaspoons ground cloves
icing sugar for dusting

1. Chop dates finely, warm in the oven, mix with a little olive oil in a bowl until combined, add cinnamon and cloves.

2. In a bowl mix butter, remianing olive oil, water and vanilla. Add sifted flour until you have a soft dough.

3. Roll the dough out and cut into strips. Spread each strip with date mixture. Roll each strip lengthwise and firmly join the edge.

4. Cut the roll into 7 cm pieces. Place on a baking tray and bake in a moderate oven until lightly golden brown.

5. Dust with icing sugar.

From: fathertimes.net

[lynn]

Just a note, BR. Alot of folks in our region eat the black eyed peas because they believe it will bring them good *luck* during the New Year. We don't believe in *luck* and don't eat them for that reason. I guess it was a tradition we carried into our home from our families, just like turkey is traditional for Thanksgiving.

On a side note, a friend at church shared this with me re luck.
L - living
u - under
c - Christ's
k - kindness

I would have to agree with that!

[Admin]

I agree with you Lynn. Our ritual for New Year's Day is having cabbage in some form. That was handed down from my German grandmothers. I think that is regarding luck too.

For me it is about my ancestors and what they had for a menu.

My dd is making cabbage rolls and dh and I are having corn beef and cabbage and taters.

Lynn, I think it was customary here in KY with dh's kin that they served black eyed peas as well.

[braided-rug]

I have been trying to think what is traditional in Australia. During my childhood in our little village, we had a caberet. They extended the hall so they could set up tables, inside and out, and leave the dance floor free for people to dance to the band. The guests brought their own food. I remember my Nana making pavlova once, I think chicken was popular.

I think MissViolet may have a better idea. In the town we are in, most were at the rodeo last night or the Folk Festival event, based on music from a German family that settled this area. Not sure if they ate before they went to it or not.

[lynn]

Traditional menu for southern region would be:

Fried Chicken and some kind of pork.....some eat ham
Mashed Potatoes or rice or both depending on the crowd you would need to feed
Black eyed peas
turnips....the aforementioned greens Carolyn mentioned....I think, supposedly if you ate greens on New Years Day, you would have enough "green stuff" or money for the coming year....but let me tell ya, that surely has NOT ever been the case with us! LOL

Grandma nearly always made sides of corn, macaroni and cornbread to go along with all of that! And always had a cake of some kind. She'd cook enough for a small army.

BR, I have never had pavlova, but always wanted to try it.

[braided-rug]

My step-son always made me a pav from one of my recipes, I will post it is I can. Nana's was Nana's styled, she didn't share her secrets lol.

Our greens went to seed, so we are letting them spread seeds in the garden. They are mustard greens.

I think we may have planted them in the wrong time of the year, up until now it has been cool enough but the warmer weather would have made them go to seed we think.

[lynn]

Yes, I am familiar with mustard greens. My daddy always planted a huge garden twice a year. The fall garden always had mustard, turnips and collard greens. Boy were they good!

I'll be looking forward to that pavlova recipe. I wish my grandma had written down some of her favs. My what a treasure that would be to have a handwritten recipe of hers!

[braided-rug]

I was on an Australian forum earlier, I don't go on it much now. They were like me and called the evening meal "tea", must be a country thing, as some live in the country. They were saying that they all served trifle on Christmas Day. Some even had it for breakfast the next morning and some wouldn't share their trifle, that is me all over. Except we didn't have it for Christmas but other special meals. My Nana always made trifle.

It is made from jelly roll, I freeze the store bought one until I need it. Then pour over sherry, set a jello over it. Add peaches, custard and then chopped walnuts, or whatever you want. Yum.

Still finding the pav recipe Lynn.

[braided-rug]

If my memory serves, this is my step-son's pavlova.

Pavlova Shell

4 egg whites
1 1/4 metric cups castor sugar (1 metric cup castor sugar (superfine) = (220g or 7 3/4oz for one cup) see link below
1 teas lemon juice
2 teas icing sugar (confectioners sugar, the powdery white stuff)

Cut 10" circle from piece of greaseproof paper; place on lightly greased oven tray. Brush paper lightly with melted butter, dust with cornflour, (cornstarch) shake off excess cornflour.

Combine egg whites, castor sugar and lemon juice in small basin of electric mixer, beat on high speed for 15 minutes. Fold in sifted icing sugar. Spread a 7mm (1/4") layer of meringue over prepared paper. Pipe remaining meringue mixture around edge to form shell. Bake in very slow oven 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until dry to touch; cool in oven with door ajar. Remove paper from meringue, place on serving plate. You can spread lemon meringue pie filling into shell, for something different. DSS didn't. Decorate with whipped cream and fruit. Whipped cream here would be whipped cream with vanilla and sugar added.

www.realfood4realpeople.com/convert.html#Australian%20Measurements